Ventilating air diffuser apparatus



March 14, 19 67 J. E. CHAMBERS VENTILATING AIR DIFFUSER APPARATUS Filed May 28; 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN EDWARD CHAMBERS ATTORNEY March 14, 1967 J. E. CHAMBERS 3,308,741

VENTILATING AIR DIFFUSER APPARATUS Filed May 28, 1965 1 INVENTOR 9 JOHN EDWARD CHAMBERS BY 6. V QW L ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,308,741 VENTILATING AIR DIFFUSER APPARATUS John Edward Chambers, P.O. Box 5106, Station B, Greenville, S.C. 29607 Filed May 28, 1965, Ser. No. 459,637 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention relates to improvements in air distributing apparatus used in ventilating systems and pertains more particularly to that type of air diffuser or distributor in which ventilating air from a primary plenum chamber is introduced into an enclosure through a perforated or otherwise apertured panel of large area.

Air diffusers of the broad type to which the invention pertains are shown in prior United States Patents 2,251,- 682, 2,304,628 and 2,585,666, and it is an object of the present invention to improve upon the constructions shown in these prior-art patents.

The principal object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction of the air control valve or panel of the diffuser as well as the mechanism for actuating the same. The achievement of this important objective results in the air diffuser having an overall construction which is much more compact, cleaner in design, and considerably lighter in weight than the known prior art devices of the general type under consideration. Additionally, the air diffuser of this invention is considerably more economical to manufacture and more reliable and eflicient in operation and contains fewer parts.

Another distinct advantage of the invention construction resides in the fact that the upper side of the diffuser is substantially flat, thus eliminating obstructions from the interior of the air duct or plenum chamber. With the invention construction, none of the moving parts are in the direct air stream of a duct or the like where they might tend to collect foreign matter and have their operating efficiency impaired.

Another very impotrant object of the invention is to provide air valve adjusting means on one end of the air diffuser rather than near the center thereof, thereby allowing the use of a single section of air diffuser panel without interruption or division into two or more sections, as has been customary in the prior art. This arrangement provides for increased air diffusion wthin a given space limitation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an air diffuser apparatus embodying the invention, partly broken away;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates the air diffuser in its entirety comprising a main perforated air diffuser panel 11 which has a shallow V-shape in cross section and extends uninterrupted substantially from end-to-end of the structure. The main diffuser panel 11 also extends for the major portion of the width of the structure and in effect forms the body portion of the device. The diffuser panel 11 is apertured or perforated in a uniform manner over its en- 3,308,741 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 tire area, the conventional perforations being indicated at 12.

At its top and opposite longitudinal sides, the diffuser panel 11 carries integral longitudinal flanges 13, which in turn carry integral top flanges or plates 14 in rather closely spaced parallel overlying relation, best shown in FIGURE 4. The top flanges 14 are somewhat wider than the flanges 13 and have their inner edges 15 spaced inwardly of the flanges 13.

The end walls of the diffuser body portion are formed by a pair of separately formed perforated panels 16 having flanges 17 which are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the main panel 11. The tops of the end walls 16 carry integral outwardly directed extensions or flanges 18 having spaced parallel overlying parts 19 extending at right angles to the flanges 14 and lying in a common plane with the later across the ends of the structure.

A fixed air flow control panel or plate 20 covers the top of the V-shaped diffuser panel 11 and is provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced large transversely extending rectangular slots 21. The body portion of the fixed control panel 20 is slightly depressed, FIGURE 4, to lie even with the elevation of the flanges 13 and to form thereon parallel longitudinal guide shoulders 22 for a purpose to be described. The fixed control panel 20 has marginal edge portions 23 and 24 extending along its longitudinal sides and its ends and these portions engage snugly between the spaced flanges 13 and 14 and 18 and 19 and are preferably secured therebetween by spot welding or the like to form a rigid and sturdy construction of triple thickness extending entirely around the four sides of the structure. This triple thickness marginal flange serves to supoprt the air diffuser upon a duct, wall or ceiling when it is installed.

Slidably mounted upon the top face of the fixed air flow control panel 20 for limited movement lengthwise thereof is a thin flat valve plate or control member 25 having a plurality of slots 26 formed therethrough adapted to register partially or completely with the slots 21 of panel 20. The slots 26 therefore correspond in number, shape and size to the slots 21.0f the fixed panel. The sliding valve plate 25 has its opposite parallel longitudinal edges 27 arranged inwardly of guide shoulders 22, FIGURE 4, whereby the latter shoulders may guide the valve plate during its longitudinal reciprocation. Furthermore, the valve plate 25 lies between the depressed body portion of fixed control panel 20 and the interior edge portions of top flanges 14 so that the sliding valve plate is fully constrained during its operation and cannot become separated from the diffuser. The construction is also highly compact and renders the top of the assembly flat, smooth and unobstructed.

Near the vertical center of the perforated diffuser panel 11 in spaced parallel relation to the panel 20 is an intermediate perforated cross baflle plate 28 for purposes well known in the art. This intermediate baflle plate has its side and end flanges 29 and 30 spot welded to the panels 11 and 16, as shown in the drawings.

Simplified means is provided to regulate the movement of the sliding valve plate 25. This means comprises a sturdy L-shaped bracket 31 rigidly secured to one end of the valve plate 25 at the transverse center thereof by welding or the like. A nut 32 is suitably rigidly secured to the vertical leg of this bracket and receives a screwthreaded end portion 33 of a right and left hand screwthreaded lead screw 34. Another nut 35 of opposite hand screw-threads is rigidly secured to the adjacent end wall 16 and receives rotatably the screw-threaded end portion 36 of like hand on the lead screw. The lead screw has an enlarged knurled head 37 to facilitate turning exteriorly of the end wall 16. As shown in the drawings, the lead screw 34 extends longitudinally of the air diffuser between the panels 20 and 28 and is substantially concealed near one end of the structure close to and below one of the end flanges 18. The arrangement is compact, convenient and neat and attractive in appearance. The uncluttered appearance or clean design of the air diffuser is well illustrated in FIGURE 1. The air control or valving arrangement renders it practical and possible to utilize the continuous and uninterrupted section of sheet metal for the main air diffusing panel 11 and this greatly simplifies the overall construction of the device as compared to those prior art devices having spaced sections of air diffuser panel and air control mechanisms which operate in a vertical direction or at right angles to the panel 20-, for example.

In use, the air diffuser may be mounted in communication with a ventilating duct 38 or the like in a ceiling having a plenum chamber v39 or in any other conventional manner so that the air in the chamber 39 may communicate with the slots 21 and 26. The marginal flanges of triple thickness may be provided with openings, not shown, for bolting the diffuser to a ceiling duct, wall or the like. Other conventional forms of fastening including spring clips or special fasteners known in the art may be employed and this forms no part of the present invention and therefore no particular form of fastening means has been illustrated.

With the air diffuser installed as in FIGURE 1 or in any other conventional manner, air from the duct or plenum chamber enters the interior of the ditfuser body through the upper slots 26 and 21. By manipulating the right and left hand lead screw 34, the valve plate 25 may be shifted in opposite directions to cause partial or full registration of the control slots 26 and 21 or complete closing of the slots 21 by the valve plate. In this connection, the fixed panel 20 is notched near one end as shown at 40, FIGURE 2, so that the vertical leg or bracket 31 may enter this notch to allow full closing of the entrance slot 21.

Upon entering the interior of the diffuser defined by panel 11 and end panels 16-, the air is diffused into the room or enclosure in a manner well known in the art.

As mentioned previously, the essence of the invention resides in the simplicity and compactness of the construction whereby it is lightweight, clean in design and embodies a minimum number of parts. This of course contributes toward economy of manufacture, ease of installation and reduces maintenance costs and operating difiiculties. It is thought that the advantages of the construction will now be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed 1. An air diffuser comprising a perforated main air diffuser panel having diverging perforated side walls, side longitudinal flanges and end walls, a substantially fiat slotted air flow control panel secured to said flanges and opposing said main air diffuser panel and forming therewith an air chamber, a substantially fiat sliding slotted valve plate on the outer face of the control panel and having constrained guided movement with the control panel and said flanges and movable in opposite directions longitudinally of the control panel so that the degree of registry of slots in the control panel and valve plate may be varied from fully registered to non-registered, there being no obstructing elements projecting outwardly of the valve plate so that the side of the air diffuser opposite the main air diffuser panel is substantially flat, a screw-threaded part on the valve plate within said chamber, a lead screw on one of said end walls having screw-threaded engagement with said part, the lead screw including a portion having opposite hand screw threads, and a part on said end wall having screw threads engaging said opposite hand portion. a 2. The invention as defined by claim 1, and wherein the screw-threaded portion on the valve plate is a dependent L-bracket secured to said valve'plate and projecting into said chamber, said bracket being screwthreaded within said chamber, the adjacent end Wall of said main air diffuser panel having screw threads of opposite hand to the screw threads of said bracket and aligned therewith, and a lead screw having end portions with opposite hand screw threads and engaging the screw threads of the bracket and end wall, the lead screw projecting into the air chamber and also projecting exteriorly of the end wall so that it may be manually operated outside of the main air diffuser panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 184,955 12/ 1876 Condon. 2,585,666 2/1952 McDowell 98-40 2,936,692 5/1960 White 9837 3,094,189 6/1963 Dean 98-38 X 3,186,327 6/1965 Giurlando et al 98-38 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AIR DIFFUSER COMPRISING A PERFORATED MAIN AIR DIFFUSER PANEL HAVING DIVERGING PERFORATED SIDE WALLS, SIDE LONGITUDINAL FLANGES AND END WALLS, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SLOTTED AIR FLOW CONTROL PANEL SECURED TO SAID FLANGES AND OPPOSING SAID MAIN AIR DIFFUSER PANEL AND FORMING THEREWITH AN AIR CHAMBER, A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SLIDING SLOTTED VALVE PLATE ON THE OUTER FACE OF THE CONTROL PANEL AND HAVING CONSTRAINED GUIDED MOVEMENT WITH THE CONTROL PANEL AND SAID FLANGES AND MOVABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CONTROL PANEL SO THAT THE DEGREE OF REGISTRY OF SLOTS IN THE CONTROL PANEL AND VALVE PLATE MAY BE VARIED FROM FULLY REGISTERED TO NON-REGISTERED, THERE BEING NO OBSTRUCTING ELEMENTS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF THE VALVE PLATE SO THAT THE SIDE OF THE AIR DIFFUSER OPPSOITE THE MAIN AIR DIFFUSER PANEL IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, A SCREW-THREADED PART ON THE VALVE PLATE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, A LEAD SCREW ON ONE OF SAID END WALLS HAVING SCREW-THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PART, THE LEAD SCREW INCLUDING A PORTION HAVING OPPOSITE HAND SCREW THREADS, AND A PART ON SAID END WALL HAVING SCREW THREADS ENGAGING SAID OPPOSITE HAND PORTION. 